4 literature in the spanish colonial period

Literature in the Spanish Colonial PeriodAn Overview

Brief Timeline1521 was the year the Spanish

colonizers came◦the start of the rule of the “cross and

the sword”◦Half a century later, colonization and

evangelization, through Miguel Lopez de Legaspi and Fray Andres Urdaneta respectively

Brief Timeline 1834

◦International trade opened

1869◦Opening of the Suez Canal

Event leads to burgeoning of agricultural industry

◦Carlos Ma. De la Torre, a sympathetic governor-general, was appointed, opening up a movement led by middle class for reforms

Brief Timeline1593, the year when Doctrina

Christiana, was printed, first book ever printed in the country

Notes on Spanish ColonizationThe use of faith (Christian) to

supplant the existing native, local belief◦Politics and religion were already

mixing at that time!Colonial strategy was to

undermine oral traditionThe Spaniards eventually hired

translators for the instructional materials, marking the beginning of “Indio” literacy

Colonial Writers of Philippine LiteratureFrancisco de San Jose, Fernando

Bagong Banta and Gaspar Aquino de Belen◦Translators of Spanish texts◦The most famous is de Belen, a poet

translator who wrote the Tagalog version for the Passion of Christ

Colonial Writers of Philippine LiteratureJose dela Cruz

◦The foremost proponent of komedya ◦His appeal to the non-literate was

universal

Colonial Writers of Philippine LiteratureFrancisco Baltazar

◦Also known as “Balagtas”◦Acknowledged master of traditional

poetry◦Was a child of the global bourgeois

revolution, thanks largely to the Industrial Revolution

◦Best known for his work, Florante at Laura about tyranny in Albania

Colonial Writers of Philippine LiteraturePedro Paterno

◦Wrote Ninay, first Filipino novel and written in Spanish

Colonial Writers of Philippine LiteratureJose Rizal

◦chose realistic novel as his medium◦Chose prose over poetry, challenging

figurative tradition set by Balagtas◦Famous for his works Noli Me

Tangere and El Filibusterismo

Colonial Writers of Philippine LiteratureGraciano Lopez-Jaena and

Marcelo Del Pilar◦Liberal Reformists◦Formed the Propaganda Movement,

and printed works that were considered subversive

Colonial Writers of Philippine LiteratureAndres Bonifacio and Emilio

Jacinto◦Writers and social critics

REVOLUTIONARIES!